The Vagus Nerve. What’s with all they hype? Well, there’s a reason everyone’s talking about this nerve superhighway. This bundle of nerves litearlly meanders throughout the body from brain to the gut and comprises transmits critically important information to the organs and tissues it meets. Most of it’s noteworthiness is attributed to the role it plays in managing the parasympathetic nervous system.
The Vagus nerve is complex and very hardworking. We only get one chance to keep this vital nerve bundle happy, or should I say, calm and functioning. Once damaged, the loss of function can wreak havoc on all multiple systems and the consequences are profound. Effects can be felt in the operation vital organs such as the heart, lungs, gut, liver, spleen and kidneys.
Some health problems associated with Vagus nerve disruption include: irregular heart rate, blood pressure fluctuations, obesity, anxiety, mood disorders, gastrointestinal diseases, chronic inflammation, light headedness and seizures.
But, let’s back up…I want to talk about the parasympathetic nervous system. This is the big one! The parasympathetic nervous system oversees our bodily functions when we are at rest. Bring in digestion, as in rest and digest. When the parasympathetic nervous system is not in homeostasis, we can have disruption in our digestion. The parasympathetic nervous system is responsible for controlling gastric motility and tone, thus affecting how we digest and gastric emptying. If we’re not emptying our stomachs and moving food through, it sits, undigested causing things like GERD, SIBO, bloating and gas. If chronic, these conditions can really begin to manifest into long term issues.
As I was starting to heal my own acid reflux (GERD and LPR), a few months in, I began to make the connection between our nervous system and digestive health. No doctor would have told me this, it was something I had to connect on my own. It makes sense really ~ our systems are complex but so intrinsically intertwined. Why wouldn’t our brain and nervous system be at the root cause of my acid reflux issues.
15 years ago, I went through a 6 month period where I had partial, non-complex seizures regularly. Like 3-4 times a week. I was hospitalized a few times. I couldn’t think straight. My speech was affected. I lost motor function in my extremities. As a cook in Manhattan, that didn’t work out well for me and I had to leave my line of work. My nervous system was little stuck in flight mode 24/7 and I was short circuiting. My sympathetic nervous system had completely taken over and my Vagal nerve, I believe, took a huge hit that would affect my life for many years to come. About a year after experiencing these debilitating seizure episodes, I started to experience bizarre symptoms such as body temperature fluctuations, restless legs, chronic stomach aches, chronic migraines, heart palpitations. Three years after that, the acid reflux kicked in. In hindsight, Vagal nerve disruption turned into dysfunction which in turn, led me to chronic acid reflux, IBS and indigestion. When the Vagus nerve is damaged the result in the gut can be lower levels of natural stomach acid, deficient enzyme production, poor motility, dysbiosis. Stomach acid is so important – it is one of our primary ways of warding off unwanted bacteria, viruses, and parasites.
Five years later, I had taken the bull by the horns, tired of bouncing from specialist to specialist and started digesting information like it was going out of style. I came across the Vagus nerve. A lightbulb went on! Aha! Another piece to the puzzle. By no means was this the end all be all answer, but just as with many chronic and mysterious health conditions, they are a perplexing conglomeration of many factors.
I changed my diet, yet. I changed how and when I ate. But, that wasn’t holistic enough. I had to think about how I thought and how I breathed. I needed to stimulate my Vagus nerve in order to work on healing my gut.
Here are a few things that can help revive and tone your vagal nerve.
Breathwork. Specifically deep diaphragmatic breathing. This was crucial in my healing journey. 3 minutes in the morning and 3 minutes in the evening I would sit and breathe. Big breath in filling up the diaphragm and lower part of your lungs like a balloon; imagining it expand in all directions. This transitions us from the unconscious breathing we do into our upper lungs and shoulders into a more relaxed, slow breath into our bellies triggering the parasympathetic nervous system and calming our entire system. Slow it down and really reap the relaxing benefits.
Meditation. This is a natural byproduct of breathwork practice. From your daily breathwork, try easing back to a natural breath and focus on the in and out. Let your mind relax and your eyes close. Find presence in your body and just breath. When thoughts arrive, notice them and gently let them pass. Meditation will also engage the parasympathetic nervous system, taking us out of fight/flight and into rest/digest. It can provide tremendous healing for body, mind and soul and can bring you closer to spirt and nature.
Yoga. Mild exercise is a great way to engage the Vagus nerve. I personally like yoga because it incorporates breathwork, meditation and exercise into one trifecta of an activity. Hello parasympathetic nervous system! Exercise can encourage bodily functions that soothe the muscles that line the gut and can also help to move food through the digestive tract.
Humming/Singing. Activating your vocal chords stimulates the vagus nerve and can increase/strengthen vagal tone. Plus it’s fun! A good chanting or round of OMs allows a peaceful and restorative vibrational frequency to flow through your body.
Gargling. Along the lines of humming/singing/chanting, gargling also stimulates the vocal chords and muscles in the back of the throat helping to tone the vagal nerves.
Cold Showers/Cold Shock. The idea here is to expose your body to very cold conditions such as a cold shower, cold water on your face or a nice cold pool or river. It’s a shock to the system and as Tony Robbins says, it will undoubtedly shock you into wakefulness. The cold water forces us to take deep belly breaths as we try to relax and adjust to the temperature change. As you adjust, sympathetic nervous system activity recedes as the parasympathetic nervous system engages. Two minutes in cold water may also trigger immune system regeneration and simulate the immune system. I love the feeling of getting out of the cold shower and the acute awareness of feeling the blood flowing through my body as the warmth recirculates. It’s almost like a rebirth each time.
Food. Food choices, time and time again, are always a major part of healing. And it’s no different when trying to strengthen your Vagus nerve. Taking care of your gut microbiome will help make digestion work better and the Vagus nerve more productive. Probiotic and prebiotic food choices have been shown to support ideal levels of GABA (calming neurotransmitter) moderated by the Vagus nerve. Up your fiber; include prebiotic foods like asparagus, chicory root, bananas and leeks; and fermented foods like yogurt and beet kvass. Omega 3 fatty acids can also increase vagal tone so add fresh wild caught fish to your diet, but watch those heavy metals!
Intermittent Fasting. Intermittent fasting has so many wonderful health benefits, and one of them is increasing vagal tone. Start with a 14/10 cycle where you fast for 14 hours and eat for 10 hours. Work your way up to 16/8 for immune cell regeneration benefits as well! There are so many ways to do this and this topic actually deserves it’s own blog post. Many people fast completely on Monday’s or one day out of the week. Some do 5:2. It’s really up to you, your goals and your body type. Personally, I stop eating by 6pm each night and only have water in the morning until about 8am, sometimes 10am if I’m wanting the 16 hour fast. I’ve noticed a huge positive change in my digestion, cravings and health since starting this. Fasting also clears your detox pathways to work more efficiently!
Acupuncture/Massage. Pressure points can also stimulate the Vagus nerve. Plus, who doesn’t want so delicious body work! These modalities are activating of the Vagus nerve and simultaneously relaxing and encourage tension and anxiety release.
So jump into the cold water feet first, sing it from the rooftops…improve your Vagus nerve function and you will feel and see results in your overall happiness and wellbeing.